The US Army has named five winners of its xTechHumanoid competition, run through the Army FUZE xTech program in partnership with the Humanoid Community of Collaboration. Among 103 submitted proposals, the winners include power systems, tactile fingertip sensors, software, and a humanoid robot called Alex, built by the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Alex features 29 joints, custom backdriveable actuators, ballistic protection, and a hybrid autonomy system combining AI with human control.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-29
IEEE Spectrum's profile series features Charlie Kemp, cofounder and CTO of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch mobile manipulator. Kemp holds multiple MIT degrees, previously worked on humanoid robots and assistive technology for older adults and people with disabilities, and describes engaging with the community of researchers using Stretch robots.
robotsguide.com
· 2026-09-28
According to The Information, Tesla has been struggling for over a year to build reliable, durable hands for its Optimus humanoid robot, prompting engineers to develop a swappable 'sensing glove' instead of embedded touch sensors. Most Optimus units built so far are used for internal testing rather than sold to customers, and remain limited to simple repetitive tasks despite extensive training data.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-28
At the 2026 Inclusion Conference in Shanghai, the Yansyn-X2 humanoid robot was shown producing a tear after being asked to 'shed tears.' The demonstration highlighted engineering work in affective computing, aimed at helping robots recognize and respond to human emotional cues.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-27
A federal procurement notice reviewed by ABC News shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to spend up to $2 million on Boston Dynamics' SPOT robots, each priced around $120,000 with an extendable arm. The filing states the robots would provide remote inspection, situational awareness, and hazard assessment capabilities in risky environments. This follows earlier reporting that ICE sought $20 million worth of electric shock gloves.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-27
According to The Information, Tesla has converted its Fremont factory—no longer building the Model S or Model X—to Optimus humanoid robot production, shifting line workers and engineers onto the project. The report describes manufacturing difficulties with the Optimus V3, including trouble precisely aligning components and limits on production line speed, with output currently at hundreds of units weekly against a stated goal of over 1,000 per week by the end of 2026.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-25
A report describes early deployment of driverless machinery for waste-handling tasks at dump and landfill operations, part of a broader wave of automation coverage that also touched on AI alliances, alternative education paths in tech, and robotics investment in the K-pop industry. Details on the specific companies or technology providers behind the driverless dump equipment were not fully specified.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-25
Tesla is manufacturing 'several hundred' Optimus robots per week after converting Model S and Model X lines for production, according to The Information. The report cites manual assembly bottlenecks, including hands and forearms with over 100 screws and small components that require workers to fit by hand, as key obstacles to scaling output.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-25
Ukraine's Third Army Corps used heavy bomber drones to air-drop explosive ground robots more than six miles behind Russian lines on September 21, 2026, targeting supply routes as part of Operation Vivaldi. Separately, ground robots cleared antipersonnel mines from over 18 miles of routes, a task that would normally require two sapper companies, according to Militarnyi and United24.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-24
Vogue World's Milan finale featured undressed humanoid robots from Chinese manufacturer Unitree dancing to Gigi D'Agostino's 'L'Amour Toujours' in the Galleria. The segment, called The Age of Intelligence, sparked viral mockery, including a widely shared photo of Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele's pained expression. The show was sponsored partly by Meta Glasses and OpenAI, and Vogue has already announced its next edition will be held in San Francisco.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-23
Toyota plans to invest $6.42 billion annually beginning in 2028 to add 150,000 robots at its own auto plants and 250,000 more at group facilities making parts and materials, according to Nikkei Asia. Workers are already helping train Toyota's wheeled ELEY humanoid robots by wearing finger-shaped jigs to teach precise hand movements. Executive vice president Hiroki Nakajima said the goal is for robots to coexist with humans rather than replace them.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-22
XPENG announced on September 7 that its Iron humanoid robot autonomously walked off its newly operational assembly line right after being built, with CEO He Xiaopeng marking the moment by giving it a staff badge. The company says more than 80 percent of the line's core processes are automated, using quality-control methods borrowed from its car manufacturing operations, as it targets mass production of Iron by year's end.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-22
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